CHICAGO -- Christian Folin, the prized college free agent the Wild were able to sign over a dozen or more other NHL teams, has only had two practices with the team since inking his deal Monday night.

That's been plenty of time for the Swedish defenseman to make an impression on stick coach Mike Yeo.

"You see it before he even steps on the ice," Yeo said. "This is a big kid."

Folin is big in the traditional sense -- 6 feet 3 and 220 pounds -- but Yeo said it's more than that.

"He's got big legs and a big frame, and he's probably going to get even a little bit bigger," Yeo said. "You get him on the ice and you see he's a smooth skater."

On Monday, Folin, 23, left the University of Massachusetts-Lowell after his sophomore season to turn pro and just about had his choice of teams.

"We had it narrowed down to a couple, but I'm glad I ended up here," he said. "In the back of my mind, I always wanted to go to Minnesota. I played two years there before in the North American Hockey League, so I always wanted to go back and play.

"People in general are really nice (in Minnesota); there are a lot of Swedish people and Norwegian people there," Folin said. "It feels like home a little bit with the cold weather."

Folin was a bit of a late bloomer out of Sweden. But after moving to North America at 19, he blossomed.

Advertisement

"I think my game fits this (North American) style really well, and I think that brought a lot out of me," he said.

The first thing Yeo looks for from a new defenseman is how he snaps the puck. Folin passed that test. He also seems to see the ice well and has a big shot from the point.

"For a young kid, he was not intimidated," Yeo said after Folin's first practice Wednesday. "A lot of times, they come up and miss their first four or five passes because they're nervous. But he showed no signs of that, and I was impressed."

Folin will become a restricted free agent after next season.

Although it's believed he is NHL-ready, it's unknown whether he'll make his Wild debut this season. Because he was signed after the March 5 trade deadline, he's not eligible for the playoffs, so he might not play in a game unless there are injuries.

The first step, Yeo said, is for Folin to get acclimated to the pro game, his teammates and the coaches.

"And then beyond that, we don't have a plan," the coach said. "Some of it will depend on circumstance. If there were games that weren't relevant standings-wise, then maybe that's a possibility (he plays).

"But at the same time, our priority has to be No. 1, to get into the playoffs, and No. 2, to make sure that all of our players and team game is on top of things heading into the playoffs. So if he factors into that, then great; and if not, we'll make sure that we're using this time to have him ready for the future."